As the operation of vehicles such as airplanes becomes more complex, it is preferable that the vehicle operator (e.g., the flight crew) be attentive and receives information in a timely manner to ensure proper operation. One means for providing information is a near-to-eye (NTE) display system. A NTE display system is a type of head worn display (HWD) system which uses a visor, a helmet or a cap to place a display in front of one or both eyes. Typically the NTE display is semi-transparent (such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), liquid crystal on silicon (LCos) display or organic light emitting diode (OLED) display) so that the information presented on the NTE display appears to the user superimposed on the visible scene. For example, a NTE display can provide a three-dimensional view of a scene outside the vehicle for use by the vehicle's operator even in poor visibility conditions, such as thick fog conditions.
Current flight decks have very few sensors that observe the flight crew. In order for NTE display systems to operate properly, additional sensors are required to sense a user's head position and orientation to present appropriate information on the NTE display. Outside their use in the HWD system, these sensors provide the opportunity to collect much more detailed information about pilot state and actions. Recently, proposals have been made to use this information to derive knowledge of the flight crew's state so that decisions can be made about the level of automation suitable for changing circumstances.
Typically, multiple alert devices are located throughout the cockpit. Present vehicle technology does not adapt operation in response to an operator's attention or inattention for proper and safe operation of the vehicle. Thus, what is needed is a monitoring system for alerting a vehicle's operator when his inattention has been detected. In addition, what is needed is an adaptive operation mode for adapting alerts to provide the most timely and most sensible alerts. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.